Motor-vehicle.



- 8955;395- Patontad Mar. I8, I902,

V. V.'TOBBENSEN.

moron VEHICLE.

' (Application filed June 26, 1001.) (l|o Model.) mums-Shut l.

WITNESSES IN VEN 70/? w v I H0. 695,895. Patentedllar. l8, I902.

V. V. TUBBENSEN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

7 (Application filed June 26, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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- A TTOHIVE) T NORRIS PETER! cu. mow-umo" wnsmucrou o c iliniTEn STATESPATENT FFICE.

VIGGO V. TORBENSEN, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEXV JERSEY.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPEGIFTGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,895, dated March18, 1902.

Application filed June 26, 1901- Serial No. 66,065. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, VIGGO V. TORBENSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMotor-Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

This invention relates to motor-vehicles, and more especially topower-transmission mechanism therefor, my object herein being to providea motor-vehicle in which the transmission-gearing shall constitute acomponent part of the main axle to insure absolute ri-v gidity andparallelism between the latter and the said gearing, and also to providesuch a vehicle in which the motor -shaft shall be mounted at rightangles to said axle and geared with the carrying-wheels in a manner tosecure compactness of construction and officiency of operation, as willbe hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, partly in section, of a portion ofa motor-vehicle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevationthereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, the near wheel beingremoved. Fig. dis a horizontalsection, enlarged, through thetransmission-gearing. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a portion of amotor-vehicle, showing a modification in which the motor is supportedindependently of the driving-axle.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the toggle connections between the brake-band andthe operating-lever.

A represents the axle, and B the carryingwheels, of the vehicle. Thisaxle comprises two horizontal bars or tubes a, arranged one above theother and united at their ends by blocks a and at the center by thecasing A of the motor M. Projecting forwardly from the motor-casing aretwo casings A A in the latter of which are bearings (0 that support therespective sections of a divided drivingshaft a the outer ends of saidsections being journaled in bearings formed in the blocks a,respectively. Between the driving-shaft and the axle are studs 1), onwhich the carryingwheels are mounted. On each of these wheels is aninternal gear-wheel Z), with which coacts a pinion b on the adjacent endof the sectional drivin g-shaft, whereby when the latter is actuated thecarrying-wheels will be driven. The casings A and A containtransmission-gearing between the motor and the driving-shaft a themotor-shaft 'm being arranged at right angles to the axle and in linewith the axis of the driving-shaft, so as to extend into the casing AThe transmissiongearing herein illustrated comprises changeable-speedgearing R. in the casing A and difierential-speed gearing S in thecasing A the latter gearing being of usual and wellknown construction,such ordinarily employed in connection with the sectional driving-axlesof motor-vehicles. Although any suitable changeable-s peed gearing maybe employed, I prefer to use gearing of the character illustrated inFig. l, to which reference will now be had.

Loosely mounted on that portion of the motor-shaft m within the casing Ais a clutchcase 0, in which are confined a series of radial tubular armsm, formed on or affixed to said shaft. In these arms are slidinglyfitted the stems of clutch-segments D, that are adapted to be movedagainst and from the inner annular wall of the clutch-case in a mannerto render the latter fast or loose on the shaft, as desired. Thesegments are maintained normally retracted from the wall of the case Cby the action of spiral springs 01, which, encircling the respectivearms, bear against collars d on the latter, and opposing pins 61 thatextend from the stems through vertical slots (1 in the respectivetubular arms. The inner ends of the sternsbear against the elongatedtapering portion 6 of a spindle E, which is fitted to and guided into anaxial opening in the motor-shaft, whereby when the spindle is movedlongitudinally in one direction the stems are gradually forced radiallyoutward by the action thereagainst of the taper e in a manner to clampthe segments against the casing, and thereby lock the latter fixedly tothe shaft. Vhen the spindle is retracted,

the stems and segments resume their normal position to free the casing.The spindle is maintained normally in the forward or clamping positionby a stout spiral spring e, which, encircling the spindle, bears againsta collar of the spring 6 to permit the clutch-sectors .closed and theband drawn to assume theirnormal or retracted position.

Loosely mounted on the motor-shaft, laterally of the clutch-case, is theelongated hub of a wheel G, carrying an internal spur-gear H, with theteeth of which mesh a series of laterally-disposed pinions I on theclutch-case C. These pinions are loosely mounted on studs t, afiixed tothe side of the clutch-case at regular intervals apart. Fast on themotor-shaft is a spur-wheel J, with the teeth of which said pinions arealso engaged. Encircling the periphery of the wheel G is a brakeband K,the ends of which are united by toggle-jointed levers L, pivoted at Z tothe casing A These levers are connected by means of a rod Z with thehand-lever F, whereby when the latter occupies its outward or normalposition the toggle levers are open and the brake-band is loose on thewheel, and when said lever is moved inward to effect the release of theclutch-case the toggle-levers are tightly with a braking force uponwheel G.

On the clutch-case O is an elongated hub 0, having a bearing in the wallof the casing A Keyed or otherwise afl'ixed to this hub is a bevelgear-wheel c, which coacts with a simi lar wheel 8 of the differentialgearing S, contained in the casing A When the hand-lever F is set invertical position, the taper spindle E is withdrawn sufficiently topermit the clutch-segments to recede from contact with the clutch-case.The motor-shaft will rotate freely, and the wheel G, with its internalgear H, will be at rest. Upon moving the lever-farther outward andagainst the pressure of the confined spring e the brake-band will bedrawn upon the wheel G in a manner to retain the latter and the internalgear H stationary; The gear J, revolving with the shaft m,- will rotatethe pinions I, and the latter will revolve about the internal gear, thuseffecting the rotation of the clutch-case C and perforce thedriving-gear c. The ratio of speed of this gear a to the speed of themotor-shaft will of course be as the ratio between the pinions L and theinternal gear, and hence said gear 0 will be driven at a reduced rate ofspeed in respect to that of the driving-shaft. If the lever F be nowreleased, the spring 6 will force the spindle E inward, therebyeffecting the release of the brake-band K and forcing theclutch-segments bodily into engagement with the clutch-case O. Thelatter will therefore be locked fixedly to the driving-shaft, and thespeed of the driving-gear 0 will in consequence correspond with that ofsaid shaftviz., normal.

By the above-described construction it will be seen that thetransmission devices-to wit, the changeable and dilierential gearing-comstitute, in effect, a component part of the main axle, thereby insuringabsolute rigidity and relative parallelism of the cooperating elements;also, that the power is communicated directly to thetransmission-gearing from the motor-shaft and that the power and motionare transmitted from said shaft on one side of the axis of thedriving-wheels to the drivingshaft on the other side of said axis,thereby insuring a steady and uniform application of the force to saidwheels. Furthermore, compactness and simplicity of construction areattained.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modification in which the casing A issupported by the bars of the axle and in which the motor instead ofbeing mounted on the axle, as above described, is located at theopposite end of the vehicle, being supported by brackets 0, carried by aspring-supported frame 0. The shaft of the motor includes a universalcoupling member m This construction is more particularly designed foruse in connection with heavy vehicles in that flexibility and freedom ofmovement between the body of the motor and the transmission-gearing areattained.

I claim- 1. In a motor-vehicle, an axle, supports at the ends thereof, adriving-shaft having its hearings in said supports, carrying-wheelsmounted on said supports and having their axes between the axle and saidshaft, gearing between the said shaft and the carryingwheels, a motor,and gearing'between said motor and the driving-shaft.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with supports, a rigid connectionand a drivingshaft between said supports, carrying-wheels, axial studslocated on said supports, at points thereon between the rigid connectionand the driving-shaft, gearing between said shaft and thecarryingwheels, a motor, including a shaft intersecting the saidconnection, and

gearing between said latter shaft and the driving-shaft. V

3. In a motor-vehicle, an axle comprising a plurality of bars, supportsat the ends thereof, a casing supported by said bars, carryingwheelsmounted on said supports, a motor the shaft whereof extends into saidcasing, changeable-speed gearing in said casing, and operativeconnection between said gearing and the driving-shaft.

4. In a motor-vehicle, an axle comprising a plurality of bars, supportsat the ends thereof, casings supported by said bars, carryingwheels onsaid supports, a divided drivingshaft having its bearings in saidsupports, a

motor the shaft whereof extends into one of said casings,changeable-speed gearing 1n the casing into which said motor-shaftextends, and coacting differential-speed gearing mounted in the othercasing and connected with the driving-shaft.

5. In a motor vehicle, an axle, a casing thereon, a motor having itsshaft at right angles to the said axle and entering the said casing, adriving-shaft, carrying-wheels having their axes between the shaft andaxle, gearing between the said driving-shaft and the wheels, andtransmission-gearing between the said driving-shaft and the motor-shaft,said latter gearing including mechanism contained in the said casin 6.In a motor-Vehicle, an axle comprising bars, supports at the endsthereof, and a motor-casing supported by the bars between said supports,a motor in said casing, a second casing supported by the motor-casing,and into which second casing the motor-shaft extends at right angles tosaid axle, a driving-shaft, carrying-wheels having their axes betweenthe shaft and axle, gearing between the said driving-shaft and thewheels, and transmission-gearing between the said driving-shaft and themotor-shaft, said latter gearing including mechanism contained in saidsecond casin In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signaturein the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VIGGO V. TORBENSEN.

Witnesses:

ANDREW V. GROUPE, JOHN R. NOLAN.

